Sun, 03/03/2019 - 09:45

Code of Honor to go next in either Florida Derby or Wood Memorial

Derbe Glass/Coglianese Photos
Code of Honor received a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for his three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Code of Honor, the winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, came out of the race well and will make his next start in either the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream on March 30 or the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct one week later, trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday morning at Gulfstream.

Sat, 03/02/2019 - 19:32

Code of Honor takes big step forward in Fountain of Youth

Lauren King/Coglianese Photo
Code of Honor earned 50 points toward the May 4 Kentucky Derby with his victory Saturday in the Fountain of Youth.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With just 63 days until the Kentucky Derby, those in the Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park knew what was at stake as race time neared.

“Acid test time,” Mark Hennig, the trainer of Bourbon War, said as he walked toward the paddock.

A few minutes earlier, asked how he was doing, Garrett O’Rourke, the general manager of Juddmonte Farms, whose Hidden Scroll would go off the favorite, replied, “Ask me in an hour.”

Sat, 03/02/2019 - 19:19

Fast, contested pace proves too much for Hidden Scroll in Fountain of Youth

Tim Sullivan/Coglianese Photos
Hidden Scroll (far right) tired to fourth after an early speed battle in Saturday's Fountain of Youth.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Disappointment was etched on Bill Mott’s face, but not too deep. He knows the racing game all too well.

“That’s history,” the Hall of Fame trainer calmly surmised late Saturday afternoon following the defeat of Hidden Scroll, the 6-5 favorite in the 72nd Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Thu, 02/28/2019 - 12:46

Hidden Scroll to get acid test in Fountain of Youth

Barbara D. Livingston
Hidden Scroll wins his career debut by 14 lengths on Jan. 26.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A little more than a week after Hidden Scroll announced his presence to the world with a romping 14-length debut victory at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26, his Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott, was musing that he was “going to ruin my reputation.”

“Can’t win first time. Can’t win the Derby,” he said, laughing.

Hidden Scroll completed the first half of that parlay. He’ll try to continue toward the second half on Saturday at Gulfstream in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes, for which he is the morning-line favorite.

Wed, 02/27/2019 - 13:50

Derby Watch: Time for Vekoma to get started

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Vekoma paid $6.10 with his victory in the Nashua Stakes on Sunday.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – They have names like Boomerang and Big Loop, Comet and Corkscrew, Tornado and Velocity. The road to the Kentucky Derby has so many twists and turns, it’s like a roller-coaster ride. So, perhaps the most-appropriate horse for this time of the year is one named for the manufacturer of roller coasters bearing those monikers.

Wed, 02/27/2019 - 13:00

Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Vekoma

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Vekoma earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Nashua Stakes.

Vekoma

Candy Ride-Mona de Momma, by Speightstown

Bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables ($135,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by R.A. Hill Stable)

Wed, 02/27/2019 - 12:36

Global Campaign testing deeper waters in Fountain of Youth

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Global Campaign, undefeated in two starts, will have his stakes debut Saturday in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hidden Scroll isn’t the only 3-year-old in the Fountain of Youth looking to make a huge leap Saturday in his stakes debut.

Global Campaign also is one of those horses who “you don’t know what’s going to happen when you sit down and ride them,” said Stan Hough, who trains the colt for the partnership of Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm. “It’s going to be very interesting, that’s for sure.”

Wed, 02/27/2019 - 11:40

Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for Feb. 27, 2019

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Global Campaign received a 77 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory Saturday.

WHO’S HOT

Global Campaign, who just missed making the cut last week, moves into the top 20 owing to the defection of Maximus Mischief. He is scheduled to make his stakes debut on Saturday at Gulfstream in the Fountain of Youth, a race that has lured six members of the Derby Watch top 20. He is 20-1 on the Kentucky Derby line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper.

WHO’S NOT

Mon, 02/25/2019 - 14:06

Instagrand joins top Derby contenders on tab

Barbara D. Livingston
Instagrand works seven furlongs in 1:26.60 under Javier Castellano at Santa Anita on Monday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The desire to add a Kentucky Derby to a trophy case that already includes multiple Eclipse Awards and a Hall of Fame plaque brought jockey Javier Castellano all the way to Santa Anita on Monday morning to work the unbeaten Instagrand and two other 3-year-olds for owner Larry Best, who reached out to secure Castellano for Instagrand.

“You’re still always looking for a challenge, and the biggest challenge, the biggest prize, for me is the Derby,” Castellano said. “This is the time you have to search.”